Lets learn more about food - Part 3 Bananas - Information for smaller kids

Monkeys love it, maybe you do too.  A nice yellow banana, peel it and eat it.  Is it good for you?  Lets learn more about this curved fruit.

A banana grows on a banana tree and they start of as small green fruit, but once they become ripe, the skin of the banana turns yellow and it is a long curved fruit.  The inside is covered with a akin that you peel off before you eat it.  Inside is the soft, yellow flesh of the banana.  If a banana is over ripe, the inside becomes soft and brown or even black and although a lot of people prefer not to eat it like that, it is still great to use in a cake or baking a banana bread.

Bananas can be quite funny fruits hahaha

A banana plant is actually not a tree, but a type of herb.  Bananas can be found in other colours also, even red bananas.

Bananas grow in huge bunches which are plucked. They call one row of bananas a 'hand' and the single banana a 'finger'.  They can remove the bunch before the bananas are ripe (especially when it is send overseas) and even though it is off the pant, the bananas will ripen by itself if it is kept in the right conditions.  (not too cold)

Bananas are healthy, contains minerals and vitamins and about 75% water.  It is a good choice for a snack  Read here to find out more why they are healthy.

The Gros Michel banana was a popular variety before crops were destroyed by Panama disease in the 1950's. Panama disease attacks the roots of banana plants. 

The Cavendish banana is now the most popular type of banana and they are also resistant against the Panama disease.  The Lady finger is a much smaller banana and Plantains are harder and has less sugar than other bananas and are mostly used in cooking.

• Find a picture of different types of bananas.
• Do you like to eat a banana?  Why or why not?  In which other forms, than the fresh fruit, have you eaten it?

The main producer of bananas is India.

The banana plant can be processed and the fiber can be taken from it, which can be used to make clothes.

• We can use bananas for baking and cooking and can also make a dessert called a 'banana split'.  Watch the video and treat yourself at home and make it.  If you prefer a banana bread or pudding or smoothy or cooking with bananas, find a recipe and try making what you want.

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